Skull Base Surgery

The Skull Base Surgery Program at Westchester Medical Center achieves superb results treating some of medicine’s most complex tumors, lesions and diseases near important nerves, arteries and critical parts of the brain and/or skull.

The Skull Base Surgery Program is a trusted team encompassing several medical and surgical specialties within the WMCHealth Brain and Spine Institute, a member of the Westchester Medical Center Health Network (WMCHealth). For an appointment, information or referrals, please call 914.493.2363.

The skull base is the bone upon which the brain sits. It separates the brain from other anatomic structures in the head, such as the sinuses, eyes and ears.

The Skull Base Surgery Program team’s advanced treatment is conveniently close to home at Westchester Medical Center, the pre-eminent healthcare provider in the Hudson River Valley and flagship of WMCHealth. Each patient’s treatment is personalized for his/her condition, and the team has improved or saved thousands of lives. These factors, along with the Skull Base Surgery Program’s outstanding reputation and specialized expertise, draw patients from across the greater New York metropolitan area and beyond.

These exceptional physicians include fellowship-trained specialists in the Minimally Invasive Skull Base Tumor Center, who, with other providers, maximize state-of-the-art therapies, technology, equipment and medical research in every patient’s care.

Each treatment seeks the safest procedure through the least invasive treatment approach, while achieving the best possible cosmetic outcome.

Most patients, however, do not require surgical treatment. Many skull base brain lesions can be tracked through imaging such as MRIs. Conditions also can be treated with highly precise radiation therapy that leaves the surrounding brain, arteries and nerves undamaged.

Just as importantly, the team guides patients through this juncture of life with dignity, compassion and educational information at every step. Each member embraces the need for nuanced attention from initial consultation through treatment and every step of aftercare. This personal touch is essential: The Skull Base Program team members care for each patient the way they would care for their own families.

Thank you for trusting the Westchester Medical Center Skull Base Treatment Program and allowing us to be part of your care – and future.

Safety: Three-dimensional images fine-tune tumor targeting in 60 percent less time, using 25 percent less X-ray radiation than traditional systems.

In addition, the BrainPath surgical system transforms how surgeons can delicately proceed through the natural folds and fibers of the brain while minimizing tissue damage.

The eyebrow incision/mini pterional surgical approach, often used to treat aneurysms, is another advanced way to treat skull base issues in the least invasive manner.

When appropriate, less-invasive methods can lead to better outcomes and shorter recovery times. These new technologies and approaches often provide the medical team with excellent visuals of the surgical site.

Skull base tumors, lesions and other disease processes can occur anywhere in the skull and brain compartments. The following areas are typically affected:

The roof of the nose and sinuses.

The nasopharynx, the upper part of the pharynx, which is the cavity behind the nose and mouth that connects them to the esophagus.

The cavernous sinus, a small structure consisting of the carotid artery, cranial nerves and fibers.